Topic

Machine safety

Machinery safety standards are designed to provide specific guidelines to ensure the safe design, production, and use of machinery. By following these standards, users can assess machinery safety and facilitate compliance with safety, environmental, and product supply regulations. Additionally, they foster collaboration between manufacturers, users, and inspection bodies, while promoting a risk-based approach to machinery design.

Providing a high degree of functional safety

Discover how standards ensure that machinery systems and equipment perform safely and reliably

Safe and sound: What are the important machine safety standards?
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Safe and sound: What are the important machine safety standards?

Machine safety standards play a pivotal role in guiding both manufacturers and operators toward best practices that mitigate risks and guarantee workplace safety. Staying up to date with machine safety standards is not just a regulatory requirement; it's a commitment to the well-being of both manufacturers and operators. There are four crucial standards which stand out in defining the benchmarks for machine safety throughout their lifecycle — BS EN ISO 13855, BS 14200, BS EN ISO 13849-1, and BS EN ISO 14119. BS EN ISO 13855: Get the positioning right Understanding the correct positioning of safeguards is paramount to effective hazard prevention. BS EN ISO 13855:2024 Safety of machinery. Positioning of safeguards with respect to the approach speeds of parts of the human body defines human approach speeds and the effective positioning of safeguards to protect machinery users. For manufacturers, this standard provides clear guidelines on how to design machines with operator safety in mind, optimizing the placement of safeguards. Operators, in turn, benefit from machines that are ergonomically designed, minimizing the risk of accidental contact with hazardous elements and promoting a safer working environment. The 2024 updated standard introduces clearer guidelines and figures, specific reaching distance calculations by applications, and improved methods for distinguishing approach paths. These advancements ensure a safer working environment and reduce the risk of accidents. Visit our dedicated page to understand all the updates on this standard. BS EN ISO 13849-1: Ensure precision in safety design BS EN ISO 13849-1:2023 Safety of machinery. Safety-related parts of control systems. Part 1: General principles for design homes in on safety-related control systems, providing a blueprint for their design and implementation. This standard, crucial for manufacturers, aids in achieving the required safety performance levels of machines. Its use empowers manufacturers to optimize machine control system design, ultimately minimizing the likelihood of hazardous events. Explore our wide range of manufacturing standards by visiting our Manufacturing & Processing Goods topic page. BS EN ISO 14119: Safeguard with interlocking devices Interlocking devices stand as sentinels against hazardous areas of machinery. BS EN ISO 14119:2013 Safety of machinery. Interlocking devices associated with guards. Principles for design and selection addresses their design and selection, offering manufacturers guidance on their application to ensure effective risk reduction. For machinery manufacturers, compliance with this standard means seamlessly integrating interlocking devices into the machine design, enhancing safety without compromising efficiency. Whilst machine operators, in turn, reap the benefits of reliable barriers against potential dangers, creating a secure working environment conducive to productivity. The latest version of this standard now includes clarification of how interlocking systems can form part of wider safety isolation and lock-off. BS 14200: Machinery maintenance for comprehensive safety BS 14200:2023 Maintenance of Machinery. Specification provides users with requirements for the approaches to be taken so that machinery remains in a safe, reliable, and effective condition throughout its working life. There are many factors which influence the type and rate of deterioration of machinery, these include: the level and frequency of use, understanding the user responsibility for reviewing life expectancy of machinery, based on the application of the equipment to undertake the task and environmental conditions, the maintenance regime in place, the selection and competency of persons undertaking maintenance tasks and how to evaluate their effectiveness, maturity risk assessment to demonstrate continued life expectancy, and more. Typically, as equipment begins to age, the rate of deterioration and the frequency of component failure begins to increase. As a result, BS 14200 serves as a cornerstone document, guiding users and manufacturers of machinery through a systematic approach to risk management. By providing rigorous risk assessments and risk reduction strategies, BS 14200 not only ensures compliance but fosters a safety-centric culture among machinery owners and users. To learn more about how standards support machine safety, visit our Machine Safety in Manufacturing topic page. The benefits of machine safety standards By adhering to these standards, manufacturers can produce machines that not only comply with regulations but also prioritize the safety of those who interact with them. Simultaneously, operators can trust in the reliability and effectiveness of the safety features incorporated into the machines they operate, fostering a culture of safety in the industrial landscape. Ultimately, a shared commitment to these standards ensures that the future of machinery is not just efficient but safe and sound. Ensure the safety of your machinery by adding these standards to your collection today. Discover BSI Knowledge Over 100,000 internationally recognized standards are available for simple and flexible access with a BSI Knowledge subscription. Our tailored subscription service allows you to build your own custom collection of standards or opt for access to one of our pre-built modules, keeping you up to date with any changes. With support from a dedicated BSI account manager, our subscription service helps you achieve a more coherent and effective approach to best practice. Request to learn more.Read more
How to ensure functional safety in the manufacturing supply chain
Article

How to ensure functional safety in the manufacturing supply chain

Digitalization and automation have transformed the way humans and machines interact across the industrial environment, and burgeoning technological advances promise new manufacturing norms. Functional safety is part of the overall safety of the machine and the machine control system that depends on the correct functioning of the Safety-related Control System (SCS) and other risk reduction measures. Ensuring functional safety standards are met involves going beyond traditional product safety assessments to identify the new types of hazards brought about by modern manufacturing methods and providing protection against them. Functional safety still has a vital role to play in protecting users in today’s fast-moving industrial landscape. In many ways, functional safety standards have never been more important. Consider the ongoing progression of autonomous vehicle technology, or the medical implants and devices governed by the Internet of Things (IoT) data feeds. Failure in these realms could have catastrophic repercussions. Even manufacturers of seemingly innocuous products or components must embed functional safety principles, to protect users from injury from misuse or accident. Traditional safety assessments deal with potential hazards from electrical, mechanical, and other design aspects that may occur during usage. Functional safety, however, focuses on the capability of the product to perform correctly and safely. This includes likely operator error and hardware and software failure, as well as environmental stress. Through a process of risk analysis and verification, manufacturers, importers, and resellers can offer consumers an acceptable level of protection, minimizing the severity and probability of harm should malfunction occur. Functional Safety Standards Taking a standards-based approach is the most efficient way for manufacturers to embed functional safety in their design and production operations. BS EN ISO 13849 standard is one of many that cover the safety of machines. It specifically gives the most up-to-date guidelines to prevent failure of the safety functions. It outlines characteristics, including the performance level required for carrying out safety functions applicable to SRP/CS for high demand and continuous mode, regardless of the type of technology and energy used (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical). BS EN 61508 is a seven-part series of standards that contains a set of requirements that can help manufacturers apply, design, deploy and maintain appropriate safety systems to reduce failures while making compliance with safety regulation more straightforward. These manufacturing safety standards are becoming increasingly important because of the level of complexity, automation, and autonomy the manufacturing sector has introduced in recent years to systems that have until now been relatively simple. Amidst the rapid change driving our current industrial revolution, manufacturers must meet new market demand; consumers want things more quickly and at lower cost – while also expecting improved functionality and interconnectivity. To read more about adopting digital technology in manufacturing, click here. Meanwhile, the BS EN 61511 series, which has two parts, provides guidance to ensure that the safety instrumented systems (SIS) that protect critical processes are functionally safe. The combined application of these standards can go a long way to embed a functional safety culture that will help manufacturers mitigate risk, reduce over-engineering (which saves money and materials) and increase trust amongst customers and stakeholders. It also drives continual improvement, ensuring the right safety levels are maintained in the lifecycle of a particular product or system. More broadly, managing risks within the manufacturing supply chain can help ensure the functional safety of products. Relevant in all markets and sectors, standard BS ISO 31000:2018 has been developed specifically for people who create and protect value in organizations by managing risks, making decisions, setting and achieving objectives, and improving performance. Standard BS ISO 44001 can also help organizations mitigate risk, as it specifies requirements for the effective identification, development, and management of collaborative business relationships within or between organizations, ensuring crucial knowledge of processes is shared. There is no doubt that using standards can ensure functional safety, building crucial trust between you and the rest of your supply chain. With a BSI Knowledge subscription, safety management is at your fingertips with instant access to best practice documents related to the manufacturing industry. It puts the control in your hands, with traceability to monitor and demonstrate your business's access to standards, and self-serve functionality that enables you to manage your subscriptions, standards, users, and content quickly and simply. Request to learn more. The Future of Manufacturing Safety Standards The future factory will also need to embrace a high degree of functional safety – ensuring that safety systems and equipment perform predictably and correctly in response to likely user input changes. Further to BS EN 61511, PD IEC TR 63074 provides guidance around security threats and vulnerabilities that could negatively influence the functional safety intended by specific safety-related control systems for machinery. PD IEC TR 63069 also outlines a framework for functional safety and cybersecurity for industrial-process measurement, control, and automation. Ensure the functional safety of your manufacturing processes by adding these functional safety standards to your collection today.

General Machine Safety Standards

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Control System and Functional Safety Standards

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Specific Safety Features Standards

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